Deal for export of Iranian gas to Iraq finalized

Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs Ali Majedi said on Monday that the deal for export of gas to Iraq has been finalized. Majedi said laying pipeline to carry Iranian gas to Iraq has been worked out and negotiations with the Iraqi officials are under way to initiate export of Iranian gas to Iraq.

Majedi made the remarks citing Iran-Iraq-Syria deal for export of Iranian gas to Europe via Iraq, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea.

He said that implementation of the project came to a halt due to lack of security in Syria for the Iranian technicians.

Majedi said that if the situation in Syria comes to normal, the project will be implemented."

Iran and Iraq have signed an agreement for the construction of a pipeline that will carry Iranian natural gas to feed power plants in the Southern Iraqi province of Basra.

The 56-inch pipeline originating from Assaluyeh, near the massive offshore South Pars Gas Field in Southern Iran, will continue into Iraq to feed three Iraqi power plants consuming gas.

The pipeline will be designed in such a way that it will be able to deliver gas to other Muslim countries like Jordan, Syria and Lebanon in the future.

Iran, which sits on the worldˈs second largest natural gas reserves after Russia, is making efforts to raise its gas output by more foreign and domestic investments, especially in the Southern Pars gas field.

Iran-Turkmenistan plan gas-for-goods deal

Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has said the country is envisaging gas-for-goods deal with neighboring Turkmenistan.

"Iran intends to prepare grounds for exporting goods to (Turkmenistan) in return for gas purchase from Turkmenistan," Zanganeh said in a meeting with Turkmen Vice-President Khoja Muhammad Muhammadov in Tehran recently, the Petroenergy news network SHANA reported on Monday.

He called on Iranian manufacturing companies to make necessary arrangements for exporting more items to Turkmenistan.

Zanganeh also said Tehran will continue to import natural gas from Turkmenistan at the current level.

Last February, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said Iran and Turkmenistan have the capacity to double their trade exchanges to $10b.